Push-to-connect tube connectors are employed in the automotive field to interconnect flexible tubes for fuel lines, air conditioners, and the like. Such connectors consist of a female part having an open-ended passage defined therein telescopingly receiving a male part. Seals interposed between the parts prevent leakage, and retainers formed of resilient fingers mounted upon a part engage with a shoulder defined upon the other part upon the parts being fully connected to maintain the connection. Such connectors permit the parts to be very quickly connected by a relative axial displacement without requiring tools, and typical examples of this type of connector are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,933,378; 4,135,745 and the assignee's U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,637,640 and 4,647,082. Such tube connectors may also include means for releasing the resilient finger retainer such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,647,082.
Tube connectors of the aforedescribed type are relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and desirable features include forming the connector of the smallest possible diameter for a given capacity, the primary components should be formed or stamped, the connection must be very stable and fluid-tight, and preferably, a visual indicator of connection is present and disconnect means are available which are easy to operate, and yet discourage tampering and unauthorized disconnection. Additionally, anti-rotation between the connector parts is often desirable.
Push-to-connect connectors presently available do not achieve all of the aforementioned features in a single construction, and the basic purpose of the invention is to provide a tube connector having such features.
It is an object of the invention to provide a low cost push-to-connect tube connector of the smallest possible diameter for a given capacity wherein the primary components are formed of drawn or stamped material and wherein interconnection of the connector parts produces a stable relationship.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a push-to-connect connector using a retainer formed of resilient fingers engaging a shoulder wherein the fingers may be released to permit disconnection of the connector parts and the finger release apparatus is permanently mounted upon one of the connnector members.
A further object of the invention is to provide a push-to-connect connector having male and female parts wherein a visual indicator is provided for permitting the operator to readily observe the relationship between the connector parts during connection and wherein indicia means are masked to indicate full connection providing a positive indication that full connection has been achieved.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a push-to-connect connector using male and female parts having resilient finger retaining means wherein finger release means mounted upon the male part cannot be operated to release the fingers without safety means being rendered inoperative.
Yet an additional object of the invention is to provide a push-to-connect tube connector having male and female parts connectable by relative axial displacement and wherein relative rotation between the parts is prevented during full connection.
In the practice of the invention a female stamped part includes a passage having an open end and a resilient finger retainer is mounted within the passage adjacent the end, circular sealing means are located within the passage and held in place by the retainer, and a reduced diameter portion inwardly of the seal receives the nose of the male part during full connection.
The male part includes a tubular nose received within the passage and a pair of axially spaced shoulders are defined on the male part having an axially displaceable sleeve located therebetween. The sleeve includes an annular exterior groove adjacent a cylindrical surface, and a split ring frictionally encompasses the sleeve cylindrical surface having sufficient radial dimension to abuttingly engage the open end of the female part during connection.
As the male part is inserted into the passage the split ring engages the outermost end of the female part displacing the sleeve away from the male part nose until a shoulder stop is encountered. Further insertion of the male part into the passage axially displaces the split ring upon the sleeve and upon sufficient insertion of the male part into the passage the split ring will be received within the sleeve groove giving a visual indication that the parts are fully connected. At such condition the free ends of the resilient fingers will have engaged with the male part shoulder closest to the nose preventing separation of the parts.
When fully connected a cylindrical surface defined upon the male part nose is sealingly engaged by the seals within the female part passage, and the nose is closely telescopingly received within the passage reduced diameter portion.
In an embodiment of the invention the transverse cross-sectional configuration of the male part nose and the female part reduced diameter portion may be noncircular so that the reception of the male part nose into the female part portion prevents relative rotation of the parts about their longitudinal axis.
If it is desired to disconnect the parts the split ring is removed from the sleeve, and the sleeve may then be axially displaced upon the male part between its shoulders into the recess engaging the resilient fingers and lifting them out of engagement with the male part shoulder thereby permitting the male part to be withdrawn from the passage.
Preferably, the base of the groove defined on the sleeve is of a highly visible color as to be readily observable by the operator, and upon the split ring being received within the groove, this highly visible surface is masked against observation permitting the operator to quickly discern that the parts are fully coupled.
As the removal of the split ring from the sleeve requires premeditated action, the split ring serves as a safety feature to discourage tampering with the tube connector, and requires positive and intentional action by the operator to permit the tube connector parts to be disconnected.